My Sister and I
by homosexual undertones
Summary: Vash and Lili travel through an AU world to help a friend in need, but it seems like they'll never get there because of some strange encounters. Besides, Vash is troubled by the discovery of his own attraction to males. BL. PERMANENT HIATUS.
1. Chapter 1

Authors' Note: NOT SWITZERLAND X LIECHTENSTEIN! This is a collaborative story 'tween me, **homosexual undertones**, and my sister, **DefineSugar**. There is no connection between the title and the writers' predicament.

Switzerland is Vash.  
Liechtenstein is Lili.  
Germany is Ludwig.  
Prussia is Gilbert.

* * *

There was rain. All day, all night. All he could see. Think of. Breathe. And he had been traveling for days in it. _Guuuuooowl_. Vash Zwingli spared a glance at his sister.

"Are you hungry, Lili?" he asked.

"I- I didn't want to disturb you, Big Brother," she shivered, "You looked peaceful riding like that…"

Vash tsked and shook his head. "You need to tell me these things! Especially since you know you're your weakest on days like this. We'll stop at the next place we can for shelter to rest and eat up."

The young girl smiled in response. "Okay."

They got off their two rather hungry looking donkeys, one of which was in fact a light shade of pink, and went into the inn, leaving the donkeys in the pouring rain tied to a fence. Upon opening the door, the two found it was not the type of inn they had been expecting. It was dark, lit only by a handful of candles. In one corner of the half-filled room there was a stage with a young man and a girl performing. The girl's song was loud and out of tune, but the harp being played by the boy was beautiful. Vash thought to himself, _if only I could play like that, everyone would love me. They would stop and listen and pay attention to me. What am I thinking? I don't need that kind of attention, I have my Lili!_

"Let's go find the innkeeper and get us a room. Also, I'll get you some food right away." Just as he took a step toward the counter, Vash saw a flash outside. _Lucky, _he thought to himself, _we made it just in time._

"Excuse-,"

A wheezing cough interrupted the almost-speaker, a young man with a timid demeanor who looked out of place. "Brother -ACK- can we get a room now?" Vash almost jerked around to a soft, familiar voice when he heard his sister and moved to her side.

"C'mon, we need to get you to bed. I'll bring some food to you." The caring brother steered his sister away from the duo on stage to a professional-looking person.

"Excuse me, but do you know where I can find the innkeeper?" Vash half smiled and held his sister a little tighter. "My sister and I need a room." The man nodded and pointed to a woman in the corner. She looked to be about fifty two, judging by her gray streaks and wrinkles. She was a scary woman, large with tiny, squinty eyes and yellow, crooked teeth. Well, what was left of them.

"May we please have a room for two?" Vash asked her, trying his hardest not to appear scared. _They can smell fear_. He pushed his sister behind him a bit as the rather unhealthy looking innkeeper answered him.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here. Two young 'ins here on a dark and stormy night? What might y'all be doing around this part of the woods?" Her gravelly voice made Vash's eye twitch and he noticed a small glob of spittle fly from her mouth an impressive distance to the nearest customer's mug of beer. The man didn't appear to notice, however, for he took a large gulp right at that moment. Vash couldn't help but wince in disgust.

Realizing he hadn't answered her, he said, "We were just traveling over these mountains to a town in the east to visit a friend of mine. He, uh, he… He…" Vash lost his train of thought as he watched the woman plunge her pinky finger into her cavernous nose.

Lili, noticing her brother's sudden lack of intelligence, tried to help him out. "He works in a sawmill factory and promised to make me a special gift," The girl smiled at her improv. She certainly wasn't going to tell this woman the truth. "Um, for my birthday," she added. _Wow, _she thought, _I almost sounded as good as Elizaveta there!_ Lili giggled, as silently as she could, and glanced at Brother. He looked dumbstruck.

Vash smiled to himself, proud of his little sister's quick thinking. He failed once again at conceiving a coherent thought as the woman flicked her pudgy finger in a random direction. He was mildly impressed by her skill at flinging small projectiles. That thought was swept out of his mind when the snot made it all the way over to the stage, somehow managing to land directly in the singing girl's ear. This woman made him think twice about staying there for the night, but they really had no other options. Unless he wanted to stay outside in the rain, huddled under a tree. _No, never again. I won't put her through that again._

"Oh, how old are you girly? You look to be 'bout my sonny's age. He-" She was interrupted by a very drunk looking man who was apparently the innkeeper's husband.

"Huh-huhnaaay. Kud yah git meh some more aaaale?" He sloshed his half-empty cup at his wife and hummed off tune.

"NO YAH GODDANG ALCOHOLIC! GET OUTTA MAH SIGHT!" The innkeeper violently pushed the drunk and he stumbled into a beefy man.

"Anyway, loves, I got ya'll a room. It's the last one we have left. Bottom floor, last on the left. Room RWMLK. One bed. Wink, wink." She dug around in her monster of an apron pouch and tossed a grubby key in the air.

Barely catching the key and barely containing a look of disgust, Vash muttered a thanks and guided his sister down the hall.

"That woman creeped me out, Brother."

"She did more than creep me out…"

The siblings gagged in unison. Vash led his sister down the hall to their room as he heard the telltale smashing sounds of a bar fight.

It was difficult fitting the slightly sticky key into the rusted lock, but somehow he managed it within a few seconds, hurrying to get Lili out of danger. He shut the door and locked both bolts and the chain, just to be extra sure. _This place gives me a bad feeling._

"Gosh dangit!" he cursed as he realized he forgot the food. He was seriously considering skipping it after seeing the standards of the innkeeper, but quickly decided he would do whatever he had to do to get his precious little sister the food she so desperately needed.

"Big Brother, what are you doing? Don't go out there! It's dangerous!" Lili said, physically holding back another hacking cough. _She must be getting worse,_ he thought.

"I have to. I'll be right back. Stay here and lock the door after me. Don't open it until you hear my voice. Got it?"

"I want to go with you, Big Brother, please, don't go alone."

"I have to, but I'll be quick, I promise." He slipped out the door before she could protest and immediately bumped into the very same beefy man who he assumed started the bar fight.

"Ouch." Looking up from his sudden seat on the ground, Vash saw an inhumanly beautiful face. He briefly thought the man's eyes were too pretty - their color like the sky sometimes was after it snowed in the Alps - but was distracted by the hair. His hair was blond, similar to Vash's and Lili's, but was paler and more yellow. It was also slicked back in that fashion that Vash thought was oh-so-delicious. He took a breath, ragged and slow, and wondered who in the name of snow was this man.

"Hello? Hellooo, what are you doing on the floor? And why are you not answering me?"

Vash could do little more than breathe and blink up at the man. While he was stunned, the man reached down to lift him up, grabbing his arm none too gently and hoisting him up. Vash still just stood next to this unlawfully gorgeous man, taking in all he could before insignificant little things like getting sustenance for his poor starving sister interrupted this chance encounter.

"Uh um, th-thanks. I-I…" Vash had difficulty putting together coherent thoughts as the man's eyebrows began to raise in confusion. It was just too cute! He nearly lifted his hand up to gently stroke those furry patches before he snapped out of it and realized what he was thinking. _He's a man, for goodness' sake! What has my mind turned to? Did I hit my head? I've certainly never had these kinds of thoughts before. Should I just get out of here while I still can? I don't know!_

The deep, strong voice poked its way into his thoughts when the man said, "Yeah. You're welcome. But did you hit your head? You seem a little woozy." This time when the man spoke, Vash got a whiff of his breath. Mint, sweet and airy drifted into his nostrils.

Taking a few deep breaths and hoping he wouldn't stutter, he started, "I don't think so," pausing to take a new breath and gather his courage to do something he would never think of doing at home, he said, "Hey, would you like to-"

"WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEST!~"

Cut off mid-sentence by some drunkard with a raspy voice, Vash almost stomped in frustration. Damn! He was so close to- _What? I was so close to what? Asking him out for a drink? Was that what I was thinking? What has gotten into me? I bet it was the long day's riding and the blisters in unfortunate places. Must be._

While Vash had been caught up in his own warring mind, the rude interrupter made his way down the hall, stumbling a bit but catching himself on the wall.

"Ludwiiiiig, bro, you left the Awesome Me all alone with those dang bananas out there! Get back out there and let's get some more beer. You need another drink, is what I think. And-" The man stopped when his eyes finally wandered over to Vash, standing there looking more than a little disappointed and dejected. "And who might you be, my little friend?" he said, while slinging a heavy arm around Vash's shoulders. His voice was a bit seductive, but he could tell this man was drunk out of his wits.

Just as he was going to tell them his name, while leaning away from the drunk, the other man, Ludwig, who in his opinion was the "awesome" one, said, "Get off of him, you creep, you're a terrible drunk and you can't keep your hands to yourself."

The arm around Vash's shoulders slackened, and he was able to get a good look at the man. A small voice in the back of Vash's mind protested as he took in the messy white hair falling around a pale face set with red eyes. The man's body was thinner than Ludwig's but just as strong. Above all, he was equally as handsome as his brother.

The man giggled. "Like what you see, eh?" Vash blushed. He hadn't meant to stare. "Heh, tell ya what, babe. I'll give you my number so we can chat sometime." The man rummaged in his skintight pants and pulled out a slip of paper, several others falling to the floor when he did. "The name's Gilbert. Beillschimdt."

Before he could protest, Gilbert stuffed the paper into his hand and gave him a peck on the cheek. Vash's knees went weak, and he wondered why they hadn't already, as he watched the German brothers leave, Ludwig helping Gilbert keep his balance, Gilbert sauntering and swaying all the while.

"Sorry about my brother. Um, goodbye, and I hope your head feels better!" Ludwig said with a smile and wave over his shoulder. Just as they were about to turn the corner, Gilbert, apparently remembering Vash, turned around and blew him a kiss.

"See ya soon, babe."

Recovering from the surprising encounter, Vash remembered why he was out there. He made his way down the hall and to the counter, searching for a bartender. He found one, her hair tied back and a look of exhaustion on her face.

"Excuse me, could you get me some bread and cheese please?" he asked while she finished cleaning a spilt liquid off the counter.

"Of course. I'll be right back." She put down her rag and went through nearby door, reappearing half a minute later with his food.

"Thanks. How much do I owe you?" He couldn't help but hate that he would be giving up more of his money, especially when he was running low on what he had brought with him. She handed him a small platter with several rolls, three kinds of cheese, and a clementine.

"Don't worry about it. You look like you and that sister of yours could really use it." She smiled at him, gave a tiny wave, and left to tend to a rather rowdy customer yelling for more drinks.

"Thanks!" Vash called to her. _Heh, I didn't have to pay anything. _Starting off down the hall, a sudden thought occurred to him._ Wait, what if there was more to it than the pitiable sight of my sister and me? What if it's moldy?_ He stopped dead in his tracks and squinted at the food. Stupid candlelight! He couldn't see a thing. _Oh well, I guess we'll just have to trust her…_

When he got back to their room, he knocked rapidly on the door, saying, "Lili, its me. Unlock the door."

It took no more than a millisecond for her to unbolt and unchain the door. She hugged him tight, looked relieved that he was finally back. Securing the door, he said, "Look what I got for you, a clementine!" She squealed in delight and took the small orange fruit, holding it close. Then Vash cheesed up a roll and gave it to Lili, and ate his own, all the while watching her as she ate the tiny citrus fruit that so reminded him of her. Sweet, adorable, and innocent. The next thing he knew, she had fallen asleep on the bed, hair everywhere, looking content. He smiled and put her to bed properly, then turned off the light, got into the bed next to her, and fell into a deep sleep, dreaming of unicorns, money, and the scary innkeeper.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** Hey! Another chapter and more characters are introduced! Hope you like it and review if you have anything to say :)

For those who don't know:  
Kiku is Japan.  
Yao is China.  
Kaoru is Hong Kong.

* * *

"_No, no! Please don't charge me that much! I'm sorry, Mrs. Owner-Lady, I'm sorry! I'll do anything if you lower the price!" He started crying._

"_Heh heh heh, you think I'll let you get away without paying me FULL PRICE, without giving me the amount for all the ruckus you caused?"_

"_Please, oh, goodness, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to!. The unicorn didn't mean to! All we wanted to do was have some fun with Tessa and that man with the harp! I promise we won't do it again!"_

"_Too late, mister blondie. Time to pay up." She cracked her knuckles and started towards him. "Big time." She closed the distance in a step._

_Suddenly, there was a flash of light._

"_Sir Fluff-"_

"Big Brother!"

Vash sat up suddenly, panting and sweaty, from his nightmare. He breathed a sigh of relief when he realized where he was and then turned his head to see Lili standing next to the bed, her face crunched up in worry.

"You were tossing and turning and you looked like you were going to cry. Are you okay?" Her voice was its usual low volume, but seemed loud in the much too quiet room. He couldn't hear any sounds except birds chirping happily outside in the trees.

"Yes. Don't worry, it was just a bad dream. I'm fine. Let's get out of this place and move on. The sooner we leave, the sooner we'll get _there_." Lili nodded, then bustled around the room collecting their few things and cleaning up the mess they made from dinner last night. They left the room how they had found it, if not cleaner, and walked somewhat tiredly out to the front room to return the key.

Outside, Vash had to cover his eyes as the blazing sun shown down from the bright blue sky. There were a few fluffy clouds, but no evidence remained of the violent storm the night before save the mushy, muddy ground and the broken trees.

"I don't believe this!" he huffed, angry. "What the heck happened to the donkeys?"

"Maybe if we didn't leave them tied up in the rain…" Lili looked to her brother sadly, who returned the glance.

"Aw, Lili, it'll be all right. We'll find some other means of travel. C'mon, I think there might be a carriage or something we can rent in town." Vash gave his sister a small hug and added, "Besides, I don't think you should be riding in the open air."

Lili wiped away a tear from her eye. "Okay, but once we get home can we hold a memorial service for Rosa Esel?"

Her brother nodded, hiding a smile. Lili had known that pink donkey since he was born and she loved him to death. Vash still remembered when they found out Rosa was a boy. Rosa Esel and Donkey Xote were brother and sister, and Vash couldn't say no when Lili had begged to keep them both. She had said through thick tears, "But you can't separate a brother and sister!"

They started walking down the road, keeping to the side and not speaking much. They saw no one, except for the occasional carriage that would fly by in a hurry, as if the occupants were late to some very important event. Vash wondered just what made them rush, and why couldn't one stop to help them? They were two small figures, walking slowly down a long, winding road through a forest to a town that was close, but not _that_ close.

Lili suddenly grabbed Vash's arm, startling him out of his thoughts.

"I heard someone coming from that way! I'm sure it was a person. They sound hurt!" she said, pointing with a rather adorable index finger towards the shaded undergrowth of the woods.

"What? Lili, I don't think we should meddle into business that isn't ours…" he reached out to touch her shoulder but she was already a few feet ahead of him.

Lili looked behind her with a pleading look. "Brother! Someone needs help!"

That look. He couldn't say no to that look. "Fine," he sighed, "but if we can't find them soon we have to leave and-" Before he could finish his sentence, Lili was at the entrance, or rather, an opening in the trees, to the woods. "Lili! Be careful. And wait up! I need to check it first to-" Again he was cut off as she dashed between the trees, not waiting for him. _Why does she always do this without even asking me? _Vash thought, while running to catch up with her. He entered the trees, looking left and right for any sign of his sister or whoever made that noise.

"Big Brother! Over here!" He heard Lili's voice somewhere off to his left and immediately turned that way. He found her kneeling next to a prone figure on the ground. Suddenly the figure started to moan and tried to sit up. When Vash was finally close enough to make out the man's face, he was slightly surprise to see a small Asian man with jet black hair and sandals on his feet. He had blood on his forehead and, looking closer, a caterpillar on his head. It crawled slowly to the edge of his hair and fell to the ground, wiggling as it struggled to right itself.

"Excuse me, sir, are you okay?" Lili asked the bloodied man. "I don't think you should sit up yet," she pushed his shoulders lightly. "We should wait for my brother. He always takes care of me when I'm hurt." The man nodded a little and laid back down.

"Lili, I'm here. Have you found out what's wrong with him?" Vash kneeled next to her, fumbling in his fanny pack for the first aid kit as he spoke.

"No," she replied, scooting over. "But I don't think he knows much English."

"Yes I do! I am perfectly fluent in English. Just because I'm Japanese does not mean I'm incapable of learning another language." The man stated a little defensively while reaching up to touch his forehead, only to see his fingers come back bloody and wince in pain.

"Do you remember what happened?" Vash asked while taking out rubbing alcohol, cotton swabs, and flowery purple band-aids. He then cleaned the many tiny scrapes on his arms and the one large cut on his head and covered them with the band-aids.

"Um, I was walking through the woods, looking for my friend. He ran off into this forest when a giant panda started chasing him. They were so fast I had trouble keeping up, and I guess I fell over a bush and hit a tree. I still need to find him so we can go back to the town." The man then tried once again to sit up and succeeded. He really wasn't hurt that badly, but the purple band-aids covering his arms said the opposite.

"Brother," Lili whispered, close to her brother's ear, "don't they look like caterpillars?" Vash nodded and Lili stifled a giggle.

The Asian man narrowed his eyes. Vash cleared his throat and stood up. "Here, take my hand." He offered it to the slight man and he took it.

"Let me introduce myself," the man said as he brushed the dirt off of his traveling clothes, "My name is Kiku Honda."

* * *

The tired and tattered threesome finally crested a large hill, revealing a sprawling town built around a slow moving river. The buildings ranged from small huts no bigger than two rooms to large two or even three story wooden buildings, looking like public facilities. It was a rather large town, considering it was in the middle of nowhere. There wasn't another town for miles and miles. The only reason this one could function was because of the transportation the river provided, connecting it to the huge cities built much farther upstream. This little town was known for its surprisingly big apples, which grew on average looking trees throughout the town and the surrounding woods. The trees just refused to grow anywhere else, which is why this little town was deceivingly wealthy. It was limited to its current size, though, because otherwise there wouldn't be enough room for the life-giving apple trees. As the town expanded, the wealth diminished proportionally. In fact, the people relied so heavily on the apples that they imported nearly every other food product and luxury item from elsewhere.

All of this unnecessary information was given to Vash and Lili by the young man, Kiku, as they trekked along the road and up the hill. The walk had taken several hours, exhausting them all to the point where they simultaneously fell backwards and sat on the hill, gazing at the beautiful scene before them. The sun was behind them, casting a dark shadow over the closest part of the town nearest to the hill.

"Let's just rest here for a tiny bit," Vash said, eyeing his sweat-covered younger sister. "Here, drink some water." He pulled a water bottle, seemingly out of nowhere, and handed it to Lili.

"Thanks, Brother. Mr. Kiku, would you like some too?" The blonde girl offered the water after she had drunk some.

Kiku nodded. "Kiku is fine. And I don't believe I caught your name…?" He turned toward Vash, offering his hand to the man.

Vash took the extended hand and blushed a little, feeling embarrassed for not introducing himself properly. "My name is Vash Zwingli, and my sister's name is Lili. But you can call me Vash."

Kiku gave a small smile and relaxed his posture. His very straight and handsome posture, Vash noted. _Wait, what did I just think?_

Lili cleared her throat. "So, Kiku, how do you know so much about this little town?"

At this, Kiku's eyes lit up. _Oh, his eyes are the color of mom's homemade Swiss chocolate! And his hair looks so silky! I could_-… _I could what, exactly? _Vash almost slapped himself. What was up with him these past few days? He had been noticing guys more than usual. More than he noticed girls. _Must be the stress. This trip has been very strenuous on the both of us. I just hope Lili isn't losing it, like I seem to be._

"I've been here quite a few times, visiting some acquaintances. Remember the man I was looking for? He owns a store here. But let us continue now, I am feeling much better."

Once everyone had rested and caught their breath, they headed down the hill towards the town so they could to find a place to stay, since it was getting late. Vash didn't want to be out after dark in a strange and unfamiliar town, especially with an easily frightened little sister.

Soon they were walking past the small houses on either side of the road, which got progressively bigger toward the center of the town. Kiku led them through a few of the smaller streets and alleys to a quaint looking one story house smushed between two story buildings on either side. As they approached the front door, Vash caught a whiff of perhaps the most deliciously sweet scent he had ever smelled. It was coming from the small house, which at second glance, revealed itself to be a store with jars of all different colored substances stacked up behind the front windows.

"This is where my friend works. He sells, um, assorted apple products." Kiku knocked on the door rather politely. Within a minute a petite, brown haired woman answered the door, throwing it wide open in the process.

"Kiku! Why did you knock? Where have you been? I've been worried sick! You promised to teach me how to- who are these people?" The door closed, save for a crack through which the person peeked.

"Yao, could you let us in? These poor people are freezing." Not waiting for an answer, Kiku pulled open the door and ushered the siblings inside.

"Whoa." Vash and Lili could not suppress their astonishment as they gazed, wide-eyed, at the vast collection of jars in the shop. Jars filled with apples plus anything one could imagine were stacked high in the store. Coupled with the fact that the room was dimly lit made the place all the creepier. Still, Vash and Lili looked around them in wonder.

"Who are these people, Kiku? And what are they doing here?" The woman stomped her foot, her hair flying.

"These kind people found me in the woods. I was trying to follow you but I bumped my head. We came to town together. And you don't need to freak out, this is a shop and strangers are supposed to come here. You can't keep scaring away your customers," Kiku replied in a calm yet firm tone. He seemed used to dealing with this antisocial woman.

"Can I offer you some tea?" asked a tall, sharply dressed man in red. He was carrying a tray with four intricately designed tea cups balanced on it, along with some scones and presumably apple jam.

"Yes, please. We would love some," Vash said, but the man was already handing out tea.

"My name is Kaoru, it is a pleasure to meet you." He bowed as he said this, miraculously managing to hold on to the now empty platter. "I work here with Yao, but I do all of the cleaning. And I also handle the customers." Kaoru gave Yao a stern look, as if to say, _I know it may be a waste of time telling you this, but you really should learn to converse with others better._

Yao shrugged the look off and started to wring her hands. Vash said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, too, Kaoru. I'm Vash and this here is my sister Lili." Feeling awkward, Vash gave Kaoru a half-bow. "And you, too, Ms. Yao, is it?" Vash smiled in the direction of the pretty woman. _Finally, I notice a beautiful woman instead of all these men. I _am_ sane!_ She looked up from her hands, startled. "Ms. Yao," Vash faltered, unsure if he was addressing her properly. Maybe 'Yao' was an Asian term or something? He didn't know, but it sounded like a name to him.

Kiku cleared his throat. "Um, Vash, Yao isn't-" Kiku was abruptly cut off.

"Ms. Yao? MS. Yao? You think I'm MS. YAO?"

"Well, um, Kiku here called you Yao so I assumed you…" Vash trailed off. "I'm sorry. I thought Yao was your name." The blush that was ever-present recently came back. The two stared at each other, their faces getting increasingly redder.

There was a tug on his sleeve. "Big Brother, I don't think Yao is a woman. No, he's definitely a man. I can tell," she whispered in his ear, her pink face showing that she shared his embarrassment.

Vash was stunned, and immediately his face turned a brighter shade of red than it had ever been. He could give a tomato a run for its money. He continued to stare at Yao, turning his head slightly to the side as if to see him from a better angle. The long hair, pretty face, and small stature were certainly deceiving, and the long red robe didn't help, but he could see the tiny things about Yao that said "male".

A few seconds passed, with nobody moving, waiting to see what would happen. Kiku and Lili looked worried, Kaoru annoyed but slightly interested, Yao offended, and Vash confused. Breaking out of his reverie, Vash said apologetically, "I am so sorry Yao, really, I-I didn't mean to offend you! I just tho-"

"Don't worry about it," Kaoru said, before Yao had the chance to speak. "This happens quite often. It wasn't your fault." With that, he turned and walked into the back room, effectively ending the embarrassing event. Yao stomped after him, mumbling something under his breath.

"Well if that wasn't the most embarrassing moment I've had in my life…"

Lili smiled and held out her arms to her brother. "It's okay, Brother, it wasn't that bad." Vash nodded and hugged her. "He'll forget about it."

"Yeah."

Kiku cleared his throat. "It's getting pretty late. I'll show you to your rooms."

"Yes, thanks," Vash replied. He straightened up and smiled. "Time to get some sleep!"

The Japanese man led them through a narrow hallway and at the end were two doors. "Lili, this is your room," he pointed to the left, "and Vash, you'll be staying here for tonight. I hope you find it comfortable." He pointed to the right.

"Thank you so much for this, Kiku." They both smiled. "I'll get Lili settled in."

Lili was already under the covers when Vash walked in. "Good night, Brother."

"Night. Sweet dreams, Lili." He kissed her head and tucked her in. Vash turned off the light and blew her a final kiss.

Just as he was about to close the door he heard a soft mumble. "Brother… I'm so happy you're here…"

Vash smiled and whispered back. "Me too. I love you, Lili."

"I love you, too, Brother."

* * *

"Kiku," Vash called down the hallway, after he closed the door. He smiled, _She's just too sweet._ He walked down the dimmed hallway to where Kiku was standing outside a closed door, the bright light that seeped between the crack illuminating a vertical line down his body.

The man put a finger to his lips after turning away from the door, indicating that he should be quiet. Vash walked over to the door and stood next to Kiku, facing the door, wondering what was so interesting. He could hear snippets of conversation coming from the kitchen.

"Why?" he heard the first voice say, much too quiet for him to identify the speaker.

"Don't worry. Really. I'm sure everything will be fine," the other said in a soothing tone, obviously trying to comfort the other.

"But he's just so…cold. And unpredictable. And _creepy_." The voice was melancholy, as if it had given up all hope. There were some whispers that were too low for Vash to hear and he quickly lost interest.

"Let's go in there, it isn't right to eavesdrop," Vash murmured in a hushed voice, urging Kiku forward.

He nodded and said, "Yes, Vash, we should get some tea," loudly enough for the occupants of the kitchen to hear.

They entered slowly. Squeezed into the small space one could call a kitchen were Yao and Kaoru. Yao, seated on a small chair, had one hand wrapped around a decorative pink tea cup and the other was massaging his forehead. Kaoru stood behind him, his hands rubbing circles on the other's back.

"I wanted to thank you for letting us stay here tonight," Vash said. He glanced at Kiku. "and you too, Kiku. Thank you for bringing us here."

Kiku nodded but Yao did not say anything.

Kaoru glanced at Vash, who obviously expected a reply. "It's our pleasure." Kaoru looked down at Yao and back at Vash. The Chinese man looked smaller than before. "It's late. You should get some sleep."

He nodded. "Okay. But-"

A sob interrupted him. Yao now had his arms wrapped around himself.

"Is," Vash started, unable to contain his concern for the poor man, "is everything okay?" He moved to the seat opposite Yao and placed his hands on top of the rough wooden table.

Yao looked up uncertainly and was confused at the worry etched on Vash's face. "I-" Yao started, then seemed to reconsider. "I'm fine." The Chinese man got up, albeit a little shakily, and headed toward the door.

Vash stood up and instinctively grabbed his arm, causing the upset man to turn his head. Their eyes met and untold feelings flashed between them. Vash had a new understanding of just how deep Yao's overwhelming emotions ran. He released the arm and watched as the other man continued on his way out of the kitchen.

Suddenly Vash didn't feel like having tea anymore. "I'm tired, I think I'll just go to bed now," he told the other two men, who had silently observed the minor scene.

"Alright, goodnight Vash." Kiku gave him a reassuring smile, as if telling him _good job, you got through to him._ Kaoru nodded as Vash gave a small wave and passed through the door, turned and went into his own room.

As he lay in bed, thoughts of the night swirled around his head. _It seems Yao had some sort of emotional breakdown. Perhaps my mistake earlier was the last straw on the camel's back. All of his burdens were building up and finally everything burst out at once. I hope he'll be okay. I'm sure Kaoru will take care of him; they seem to be really close. But who was he talking about? Oh well, it's none of my business. I need to get some sleep and be rested for tomorrow. Lili and I need to get going. She's…so…_Vash's thoughts slowed as he drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep.

* * *

**AN: **It's ended with Vash asleep both times now, hasn't it? Eh heh heh heh... And before we forget: thanks for the one alert! We appreciate that someone besides us actually likes this. Don't forget to review sometime (preferably now)!


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